Signal controller



l1g- 20, 1,929 c. A B. HALVORSQN, JR., ET Ai 1,725,635

SIGNAL CONTROLLER l mvenos C romweLLBHoLvor-son Jr.

D v Hart- XWVLCkerjy Aug 20- 1929 c. A. B. HALVORSON, JR., ET AL. 1,725,635

SIGNAL CONTRLLER Filed Nov. ze. 1924 2 sheets-sheet .2r

. C) Pedetrians Go.`

Inventor-5 C r'omwell BHQLvorsov-n Jr; Harry W V'Lckecy hay Their Attohey Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT. OFFICE.

CROMWELL A. B. HALVORSON, JR., AND HARRY W. VICKERY, OF LYNN, MASSACHU- SE'ITS, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGN/A1. coNT'RoLnER.

'Application filed November 26, 1924. Serial No. 752,`477.

Our invention relates to signal controllers and in particular to controllers especially adapted for use inthe control of traflic signals.

It is an object of our invention to provide a device of the above character by means of which a multiplicity of signals atI a street intersection may bc controlled from one point.

The means for accomplishing the foregoing are hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, reference being had to' the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows the controller in side elevation and inV section; Fig. 2 is a front view of the controller, portions of the casing being broken away to show the location,of the cams and switches; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic schematic arrange ment of the connections for controlling a particular scheme of signals applicable, for

example, to a T intersection where two streets come together; Fig. 4 represents the intersection of two streets; Fig. 5 represents a T tratlic pointyFig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the unit and its circuits.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it will be seenthat the controller comprises a controller handle-2 pivoted about the pin 3, which latter rests in a bearing 4 on the outside of a disc 5 which latter is secured to the shaft 6. This shaft is hollow p and through the center thereof there passes a rod 7 which is adapted to slide lengthwise within the shaft 6. The lower end of the rod 7 rests upon the lever 8 which is adapted to oscillate about the pivot 9. The forward end of the lever is maintained in engagement with a spring 10 `which latteris adapted to maintain the lever 8 pressed upward and which is also adapted to maintain the rod 7 in its highest position corresponding to the positionl of the controller arm 2 shown in Figs.-

lposition to another.

tions are indicated by the notches 12, 14 and 15. By depressing the lever 7 the operator causes the depression of the lever S at the bottom of he controller. This lever tilts a mercury switch '16 which serves as a main circuit switch for a number of other circuit connectionsthrough similar mercury switches 17 through 28. By tilting the mercury switch 16 the operator effectively breaks the circuit connections through all of the mercury switches and thereby7 prevents false signals from being communicated or displayed during the shifting of the controller from one It will be understood that although the controller shows twelve auxiliary mercury switches and one main mercury switch, the number of auxiliary switches may be varied'depending upon the number of signals to be operated and upon the character of the combinations desired. One such arrangement is indicated by the schematic, diagrammatic drawing in Fig. 3. Secured to the hollow shaft 6 there are a number of cams 29 through 40. Each of these cams is provided with one or more low points, such as the V depression 41 and one ormore high points. Each of the mercury switches is pivotally mounted and is controlled through the medium of an arm .42, the' forward end of which arm is provided with a roller that rolls along the upper rim of the corresponding cam. lf necessary, a suitable spring may be secured beneath each mercury switch support in order to give the latter arm suflicient tension to insure that theforward end of the mercury switch lever y will fall into the V depression of the cam. Such a spring may be provided with its lower end securedto the frame. The upper end of the spring may be made to rest vagainst the lower left hand heel of the carriage, Fig. 1, that carries the mercury switch.

The arrangement indicated in Fig. 3 is that for a set 'of signals 'applicable to a T intersection such as represented in Fig. 5. At the intersection the signal unit isrepresented near the middle of the through street by the square 43. These units may be standard and are, of course, provided with four faces or sides so as to make them applicable for a cross sectionA as in Fig. 4. While the four faces would be used in Fig. 4, in Fig. 5, only three of the faces are used by the vehicular tratlic. In Fig. 3 lamps on the north face of the unit are showin in the column N, lamps in the east side of lthe unit in the column E, those in the south sidein the column S, and

those in the west side in the AColumn IV. Vith the arrangement in Fig.' 3 the controller has six positions. This is represented by the six horizontal columns of circles below the lamp.

The number of circlesin one of these horizontal columns represent the number of mercury switches, such'as the mercury switches 17 through 2'? which -are brought int-0 use in operating the necessary signals of an intersection such as in Fig. 5.l The dark circle in the first vertical column represents that the first mercury switch comes into use. only once. The same 'is true of the second and third columns respectively. The fourth' mercury switch comes into use three times and` likewise the fth. The sixthI comes into use south-green, east and west-red. In the second position the indication would be Aeast and west-green, north and south-red. In

the third position the indication would be.

north and south-Left, east and west-red.

In the fourth position east and west-Left troller of 'our invention is very exible. The

number and type of signals may be inde-tinte- Vly varied.. Left turns maybe taken care of just as Veffectively* as the right turns or the four times, the seventh and eighth twice, the

ninth four; times, the tenth twice, and the eleventh four times. It will be seen that in the first position of the controller thev fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh mercury switches come into use as indicated bythe top hori; zontal column. The result is that circuits are closed for each one of the green lamps shown in the second horizontal 'column oflainps in the upper part of the figure. This combination indicates All go. In the second position of the controller the third, fth, sixth, ninth and eleventh mercury switches come into use with a result that a Left turn lamp lights up on the west face, a green lamp on All stop and the sixth position of the signal is Pedestrians go. This is indicated by the switch 16.

lighting up of all of the amber lamps'on all 'of the faces. In this case the amber signal on -the south side of the unit is of assistance to the pedestrians.

In Fig. 6 circuit connection between the mercury switches and the lamps is indicated. It will be observed that all of the circuits pass first through the main vmercury F orthe traiiic such as necessary in connection with an intersection of thetype shown in Fig. 4' eleven mercury switches and two additional lamps would be supplied under the columns east and west, Fig. l, so that all told there would be sixteen lamps. The combination of the mercury switches in position No. l would be such as to indicate ncrthand forward traic. With the arrangement shown it is impossible for the circuits designed to actuate certain signals to become mixed with the circuits designedto actuate different sign als.. Heretofore this has .been impossible when such a large number of signals'as here .Qontemplatedhave been involved.

Referring to Fig. 1*,I it will be seen that the'conductor 44 is connected to one of .the

terminals of the main mercury .switch v16.

The fifth position of the signal isV of any suitable source of power. The circuit, after passing through the mercury switch, extends along conductor 45 to thervarious mercury switches from there on. Each mercury switch has an individual conductor which entersthe cable 46 andextends to each particular lamp as indicated inFig; 3 eX- cept in the case of the amber lamps in which case one conductor serves for all Iof these lamps. shown in Fig. -l it will 'be observed that all of the mercury switches on the right hand 'side are represented as closed whereas all-of the switches on the left hand side are represented as open.. This arrangement may be In `the position of the controller changed by shifting around the cams 29,

30 et seq. to any position desired. be dono by loosening any one of the screws 47 and adjusting the corresponding cam. In Fig. 6 the details of these circuit connections are more.clearlyindicated.

IVhereas we have described our invention by giving a concrete illustration it will'be understood that we do not wish ,to be limited in lits application to the specific disclosure in- This can p connection, a switch controller common to said switches provided with means for opening the main -switch before the branch switches are operated and for thereafter operrality of branch connections from the main connection, a branch switch in each branch connection, a switch controller common `to said switches provided with means for opening the main switch before the 'branch switches are operated and for thereafter operating the branch switches in sequence, said means for operating the branch switches com- I prising a cam for each switch and a common driving element for all of the cams, each cam being adjustably secured to said common driving element, each switch `being normally in engagement with its cam, each cam having a number of high points and low p oints whereby the corresponding switch may be operated la number of times during one cycle of operation o'f the ca m.

3. In an electric system a main. circuit con.

nection,l a main switch in said connection, a plurality of branch connections from the main connection, a branchswitch in each branch connection, a lswitch controller common to said switches comprising a shaft for opening the main switch before the 'branch switches are operated and a cam'for each switch for thereafter operating the branch switches in sequence, each switch comprising an element movable under the influence of gravity and being mounted to oscillate about a horizontal axis,said shaft being mounted to rotateabout a vertical axis and serving as a common operable means for all of said cams, and a latch associated with said shaft whereby the shaft and cams may be locked in any one of a number of positions.

ing a shaft mounted to rotate aboutits longitudinal axis, a cam element, said shaft passing through said cam element, said' shaft" being mounted to move longitudinally through said element, said element being mounted to rotate with said shaft, said element having a flange surface extending along the length of the shaft and having a cam formed on the rim of the fiange, and an electric circuit-making and circuit-breaking switch mounted in proximity of said cam and in operative engagement with said cam whereby the switch may be opened and closed by said cam when the shaft is rotated, and a second circuit-making and circuit-breaking switch mounted in proximity of saidshaft and in operative engagement with the shaft whereby the latter switch may be opened and closed by the longitudinal movement of the shaft. Y 1

5. An electric circutcontroller comprising a shaft mounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, a plurality ofcam elements, said shaft passing through all of said cam elements, said elements being mounted to rotate with Vthe shaft, each of said elements .having a flange surface extending along the length of the shaft, a lcam surface, formed on the rim of each flange whereby the cam may be operated in a plane parallel to the axis ofthe shaft, and an electric circuit-making and circuit-breaking switch associated with each cam, each switch mounted in proximity 4of its` corresponding cam and adapted to be operated thereby whereby all of the -switches may be operated by rotating the shaft, a lever for operating said shaft, and .latching means associated with the lever for holding the shaft and cams inany one of a `number of positions.`

6. An electric circuit controller comprisinga shaft mounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of cam elements, said shaft passing through all of said cam elements,said elements being mounted to rotate with the shaft, each of said elements having a flange surface extending'along the length of the shaft, a cam surface formed on the rim of each flange whereby the cam may be operated in a plane parallel tothe axis of the shaft, and an electric circuit-making and circuitbreaking switch associated with each cam, each switch mounted in proximity of its corresponding cam and adapted to be operated thereby whereby all of the switches may be operated by rotating the sha-ft, a lever for holding the shaft and cams in any one of a' number of positions said shaft being mounted tol move longitudinally, said lever being icc mounted in proximity of the shaft and in auxiliary electric circuit-making and circuit- 4. An electric circuit controller compris-- shaft and in operative engagement with thev shaft whereby the auxiliary switch may be opened and closed by moving the shaft longitudinally.

7.' In an'electric controller a main circuit connection, a main switch in said connection, a plurality of branch circuit connections extending from said main circuit connection, a branch switch in each branch circuit connection, a switch controller common to all of said switches, said controller being provided with means for opening the main switch before the branch switches are operated and for thereafter operating the branch switches in sequence, an electric lamp in each branch circuit connected in series with the auxiliary switch thereof, all of Snif-l lamps boing unfle the common oonto-l' of the main switch and each lump being under the individual control of' its corresponding auxiliary Switch, Said switches being so i'elacecl tov die controlla' and said controller boing so mounted that when the Controller is moved in one clii'evctioii the main switch is operated and when moved in a 'di'i'elen direction the auxiliary 'Switches ae opoiated. 'v

ln Wness whereof', we have lleiounto set our hands JLhis 22nd day of November5 19%. CRUf/lfWELL A. B. HALVOBSON, JR,

lW. VCVW'QY., 

